Sanjay Leela Bhansali Biography

Born and raised in Bombay, Sanjay Leela Bhansali graduated from the Film & Television Institute of India. His debut film Khamoshi - The Musical (1996), about a girl's struggle to communicate with her deaf-mute parents, won Best Film - Critics at the Filmfare Awards.

His next film, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), won Best Director and Best Film at the Filmfare Awards as well as Best Director at the Screen Weekly Awards. The film was first noticed at the Fukuoka Festival in Japan and wound up being released in 60 theatres in Japan. But it was with the love story Devdas (2002), starring Aishwarya Rai, that Bhansali made his international breakthrough. The first Hindi commercial film ever screened at the Cannes Film Festival, it won not only a Best Director Filmfare Award, but was nominated for a BAFTA Film Award for "Best Film not in English."

Black (2005), about a teacher who helps a deaf, mute and blind girl out of her dark world and confusion into light and hope, won three 2006 Filmfare Awards-Best Director, Best Film and Best Film - Critics. Released in Australia, Great Britain, France and the USA, it brought Bhansali even more international attention, so much so that his next film, Saawariya (2007), was distributed by Sony Pictures.